This month we feature Anthem Entertainment writer Kelly Archer. Her songs have been recorded by Reba, Brett Young, Tricia Yearwood, Eli Young Band, Dustin Lunch, Jo Dee Messina, Montgomery Gentry, Justin Moore, Cassadee Pope, Chris Lane, and many more. In 2017 Kelly celebrated her first No.1 song with Brett Young’s “Sleep Without You.” Her second followed less than a year later with “Somebody Else Will” performed by Justin Moore.
What’s your favorite part of the songwriting process?
My favorite part of the process is sussing out an idea/storyline, especially when everyone is connecting and flowing, or if it’s personal for someone in the room, and the song starts to almost write itself. I also LOVE tracking a song with a killer Nashville band and feeling a song come to life.
What’s your biggest session highlight so far?
Tough question, for me a lot of highlights come from ordinary days with friends that turn into a magical song. The day Travis Denning, Chris Stevens and I wrote “I’m Gonna Love You”, which was just recorded by Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood, started off so ordinary with no ideas and we walked away with a recording we all felt was special.
How much do current market and track trends impact your creative process?
It’s important to know what’s going on out there currently but I try my best not to chase trends too much, I think it can be a trap. I try my best to be present in the room and trust my co-writers’ instincts with the goal of just writing a great song with a great melody. The market is continually changing and my main concern as a songwriter, outside of creating, is how to participate more in the profit sharing. Songwriters are undervalued in my opinion, and I worry we’re going to lose a lot of great writers if they can’t make a living.
To learn more about Kelly Archer, visit anthementertainment.com/creator/kelly-archer.
Do you want to be featured or do you want to highlight a songwriter in “Writers on Track”? Contact [email protected] for more information.
